CROP PROSPECTS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 110, 26 January 1918, Page 2

CROP PROSPECTS

$ WILL IT BE NECESSARY TO IMPORT WHEAT? i CANTERBURY PRODUCE ! PRICES i By Telegraph—Press Association. Christchurch, January 25. '• The announcement made by the Hon. \V. D. 8. Mac Donald, Minister of Agriculture, that there are 271,749 acres sown in wheat shows that the area is 22,19G acres below the official estimates of that sown or intended to be sown in wheat. It was generally considered that the estimate was too nigh in view of tho fact that weather and other conditions prevented farmers from sowing all the- spring wheat they intended. Mr. Mac Donald states that if the yield comes up to the average of tho past ten years there will probably be sufficient wheat for local requirements, except it may be a small quantity of Australia;] wheat lor mixing purposes. The average yield of wheat for the past ten years was 25.32 bushels per acre, and an average of 23 bushels per acre this season will give a total yield of 7,603,972. feeing, however, that the wheat crop lias been subjected to the vicissitudes of a very mixed season, it is considered very doubtful whether the yield will be up to the average, and tho latest harvest reports throughout Canterbury are- not very encouraging. It is apparent, however, that if the wheat can be harvested without further damage there will he a full year's supply available, but it will be quite a month later in being fit for milling, as compared with last year's crop. The quantity of wheat lequired for a year depends to a considerable extent upon the quality. It is usually set down ns 6,0(10,000 ' bushels, but talcing the twelve months .ended November 30, 191", for which Government official figures arcs available, tho consumption of locally-grown and Australian wheat was just upon 7,000,000 bushels, and in addition there was Australian flour imported equivalent to 471,253 bushels, of wheat, which'is considerably above the average, importation of flour. No samples of this season's wheat are reported to have been submitted to buyers as yet. • • ■ -'."'.' '. ' Oats aro coming forward slowly, and a few lines of Gartons have[.changed hands up to 3s. 3d. per; bushel- at country stations,' there being! 'it '"good demand for them en account of the shortage of stocks of white oats. Algerians are selling up to 3s. The purchase of the new barley crop has commenced, and several ■ sales of prime malting have taken place up to os. 9d. per bushel at country stations. The barley is of good quality, and so far mostly of good colour. There is practically no old oatsheat chaff now offering, and new is worth £4 per ton at country stations for immediate delivery. There have been offers of £3 10s. for forward delivery, but growers are not yet prepared to accept that figure. No sales of .'nain crop potatoes are yet reported. Some business is being done in early crop onions at £6 per ton.